Month: April 2018

Green Spray Foam

In the area of recycling of spent chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood, most studies to date have focused on methods of removing/extracting the residual preservative from the wood matrix. It is well recognized that exposure of CCA-treated wood to an acid solution can reverse the CCA fixation process thereby converting the CCA elements into their water-soluble form. The economic viability of the process is enhanced because it can be integrated with other technologies and products (e.g., “green” spray foam insulation, etc.). The market for the “green” CCA is the same as for traditional CCA-the wood treating industry, principally utility poles and pilings. A market research study was conducted to determine the suitability of spent CCA-treated wood as a source for recycled, “green” CCA for manufacturing “green” spray-foam insulation. Specifically, we wanted to discern the attitudes and overall perspectives of buyers/sellers (i.e., utilities and wood treating companies) of CCA preservatives and treated wood products, disposal methods and costs for decommissioned CCA-treated wood, and understand perceptions of and willingness-to-pay for “green” CCA preservatives extracted from the technologies used in this research. Results show that 60% of wood preservative treating respondents and 60% of electric utility company respondents are somewhat or greatly interested in using out-of-service utility poles as feedstock for “green insulation” as part of a new potential business venture.

Louisiana State University CCA Research

Preservative-treated wood plays a substantial role in the infrastructure of the nation. Virtually all of the preservative-treated wood that is installed is eventually decommissioned and landfilled. The goal of on-going research at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter) is to reclaim the preservative in decommissioned preservative-treated wood and utilize the preservative-free wood as a raw material for bio-polyols which can be used to produce spray foam insulation. In the area of recycling of spent chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood, most studies to date have focused on methods of removing/extracting the residual preservative from the wood matrix. It is well recognized that exposure of CCA-treated wood to an acid solution can reverse the CCA fixation process thereby converting the CCA elements into their water-soluble form. Thus, acid extraction using different acids and a wide range of reaction conditions has been extensively studied for removal of CCA from out-of service CCA-treated-wood. However, acid extraction processes are slow and requires a large treating space and a large amount of acid solution.

Conventional Extraction

Furthermore, conventional acid extraction requires sequential extraction or a two-step extraction process to attain complete removal because none of the individual acids are able to effectively remove all three CCA elements simultaneously. Therefore, a cost-effective acid extraction method is lacking. The core innovation of the LSU technology involves the novel approach of microwave energy for binary acid solutions consisting of oxalic acid combined with either acetic or phosphoric acids. Our previous bench top research has shown that the addition of acetic acid into phosphoric acid enhanced the metal recovery rate of the mixed acid solution. This synergistic effect of mixed acetic acid and phosphoric acids is considered one of the most interesting and significant discoveries of the core invention. The minimal reaction conditions for extracting the maximum percentage of metals were 2.75% phosphoric acid, 0.5% acetic acid, and 130˚C. The total recovery rate approached 100% for arsenic, 96.7% for chromium, and 98.6% for copper in a one step process. We can obtain virtually complete removal of all three metals at slightly more aggressive reaction conditions. The economic viability of the process is enhanced because it can be integrated with other technologies and products (e.g., “green” spray foam insulation, etc.).

Todd Shupe is the President of DrToddShupe.com and is a well recognized expert on wood-based housing and wood science. Shupe worked as a professor and lab director at LSU for 18 years and Quality Manager for Eco Environmental (Louisville, KY) for 2 years. He is active in several ministries including his Christian blog ToddShupe.com. Todd is the Secretary of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men, Database Coordinator for Gulf South Men, and volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, Iron Sharpens Iron, Open Air Ministries, HOPE Ministries food pantry. Todd is currently preparing to be a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men.

Wood Gluing Tips

Many woodworking projects require gluing. There are many types of glues and epoxies but they all have some common requirements which we will focus on in this post.

Mask Glue Joints Before Assembly/Finishing

I suggest you finish the individual parts of your woodworking project before you assemble them. This can be an excellent and provide a better quality final finish for your project. Strong glue joints begin with clean wood surfaces. So for a strong glue joint, you need to keep the joints free of finish, stain, etc because it will impede the gluing process. One approach is to apply masking tape to the surfaces that will be glued. Then, remove the tape to expose “clean” wood when you glue up the project. If you are using a water-based finish, you’ll get the best results with a “no-bleed” tape such as green Frog Tape and ScotchBlue painter’s tape.

I suggest you finish the individual parts of your woodworking project before you assemble them. This can be an excellent and provide a better quality final finish for

your project. Strong glue joints begin with clean wood surfaces. So for a strong glue joint, you need to keep the

Then, remove the tape to expose “clean” wood when you glue up the project. If you are using a water-based finish, you’ll get the best results with a “no-bleed” tape such as green Frog Tape and ScotchBlue painter’s tape.joints free of finish, stain, etc because it will impede the gluing process. One approach is to apply masking tape to the surfaces that will be glued.

Cover Bar Clamps With Wax Paper

The moisture in glue can cause the metal to leave a dark mark on your wood when using steel bar clamps or pipe clamps and the wood glue comes in contact with the clamp. As a quick fix, place a sheet of wax paper over the clamps to prevent this “dark spot” problem. It will also catch glue drips that would otherwise get make a mess on your clamps and workbench.

Use a Notched Trowel (or Credit Card) to Spread Glue

An inexpensive notched plastic trowel works great for spreading glue when gluing large surfaces. They can be found in the flooring or tile section of most hardware stores or home centers. You can make our own spreader from an expired credit card if the family sewing basket has a a pair of “pinking” shears.

Remove Squeeze-Out Glue

There is an old, on-going debate about the best way to remove glue that has been squeeze-out from a joint. Some insist that you should clean it up immediately with a damp rag. Others believe that the glue should be allowed to

completely dry, then scraped off. My opinion is to use the wet rag method, if it does not make a bigger mess. Your other option is to wait for approximately one hour and the glue will begin to cure. At At this point, the glue will often turn a darker color and becomes more gel-like. A sharp chisel can be used to shave the glue off with little to no mess. The benefit here is little to no mess and a much easier cleanup than removing hard glue. However be careful not to chisel into the wood.

Nail Before Glue

Wood glue makes often makes boards slippery and hard to handle. It is important that the boards be properly lined up if gluing with clamps. An easy solution is to hold the parts in alignment with a few strategically placed brads before you apply the clamps. You can cut your parts extra long and place the brads where they will be cut off during the finishing process or place the nails where the filled holes won’t be too visible.

Todd Shupe is the President of DrToddShupe.com and is a well recognized expert on wood-based housing and wood science. Shupe worked as a professor and lab director at LSU for 18 years and Quality Manager for Eco Environmental (Louisville, KY) for 2 years. He is active in several ministries including his Christian blog ToddShupe.com. Todd is the Secretary of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men, Database Coordinator for Gulf South Men, and volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, Iron Sharpens Iron, Open Air Ministries, HOPE Ministries food pantry. Todd is currently preparing to be a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men.